State Auditor Shad White has announced the arrest of a former sheriff and hospital employee in Yalobusha County.
According to the state auditor, former Yalobusha County Sheriff William “Lance” Humphreys and former Yalobusha General Hospital employee Katherine Rotenberry Brown have each been indicted on embezzlement charges in separate cases.
Humphreys was indicted for embezzlement after allegedly stealing nearly $5,000 from the county’s “Inmate Canteen Account” – funds meant to provide educational and recreational resources to county inmates. The former sheriff is accused of transferring money from the canteen account directly to his own personal bank account. The purported transfers were made in 2018 and reported by a Yalobusha Sheriff’s Office employee who was gathering documents to be audited.
“This is, unfortunately, another case where funds intended to benefit prisoners were stolen,” Auditor White said. “It’s the second arrest we’ve made like this in the last month. We will continue to enforce the law to protect taxpayers and other victims.”
A grand jury also indicted Katherine Brown for embezzlement. She is alleged to have embezzled over $70,000 from Yalobusha General Hospital by issuing and cashing checks addressed to multiple hospital employees. Hospital employees filed a complaint at the Auditor’s office after accounting discrepancies were identified.
“Thank you to the agents who uncovered this fraud from a rural hospital,” White said. “We are dedicated to putting a stop to schemes like this and making sure public money reaches those who should benefit—in this case, patients and hospital employees.”
Agents delivered a $10,867.30 demand letter to Humphreys and a $100,966.03 demand letter to Brown. Both amounts include interest and investigative expenses.
Humphreys will face up to 20 years in prison or $5,000 in fines, and Brown faces up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
